Refractive materials gives us some limited control of light: we can fashion lenses, and construct waveguides, but complete control of light is beyond simple refracting materials. Ideally we might wish to channel and direct light as we please just as we might divert the flow of a fluid....

Metamaterials, i.e. artificial materials with rationally designedgeometry, composition, and arrangement of nanostructured building blocksare opening a gateway to unprecedented electromagnetic properties andfunctionalities that are unattainable with naturally occurringmaterials....